When a player has only played in 6 games, that is usually not enough time to make a genuine conclusion about how a player has been going. If you considered that three times in those six games this player has left that game early due to an injury, it becomes even harder to give a fair reflection on how that player has been playing. Yet, so many people are jumping to the conclusion that Vitali Kravtsov doesn’t belong on an NHL roster.
In six games, Kravtsov has just two helpers. Yes, one of them came in the 8-2 drubbing of the Detroit Red Wings where everyone had a point but that doesn’t change the fact that Kravtsov has not quite had the opportunity to show how good a player he can be. Kravtsov’s had a rather uneventful season to this point but given his luck and ability to stay on the ice, it is going to be expected of the Russian winger to start slowly.
I’m not trying to make the point that Kravtsov is going to destroy worlds and set the Rangers’ record books ablaze. I’m not delusional… most of the time. What I am trying to say is that the fans that want him shipped out of town tomorrow need to be a little more patient. There are a lot of factors at play with Kravtsov and he’s going to need more time than a lot of the roster to get going, especially considering his injuries.
Kravtsov is also coming back from the KHL where the ice surface is a little wider providing him with more time and space. That is going to be difficult to adjust to when he is constantly leaving games with injury. Many people will make the argument that Kravtsov is underperforming. While he’s not been producing at the rate of a superstar, it is very difficult to say that he has been underproducing when expectations were varied.
Among the 15 forwards the New York Rangers have used this season, Kravtsov has some pretty complimentary underlying numbers. According to NaturalStatTrick, his xGF/60 (expected goals for per 60 minutes played) is 10th. That’s not great. 2.49 is a good number but people want him to be great at scoring and generating. He hasn’t been so the narrative is that he has had a bad season.
One of the reasons I love using underlying numbers is because it opens people’s minds. While Kravtsov hasn’t been great offensively, his xGA/60 (expected goals against per 60) is the 4th lowest on the team. He’s only behind Hunt, Chytil, and Vesey. 1.92 is a lot better than most of the Ranger forwards. I know not everyone likes analytics, but there’s a player in there with Kravtsov. Just be patient.